Miel et Amande
by chaomeow
Summary: Malfoy served everything he knew to them in a silver platter. Who's that child that keeps trailing him, though?
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: **Major editing going on.

**Disclaimer: **Will never be mine.

* * *

**Chapter one**

An exotic owl pecked at Hermione's window and an ominous feeling crept. She slid her window open and let the owl swoop in. She watched as it circled the room first before dropping the parchment on her desk.

The parchment had the seal of the Dark Mark.

Hermione held her wand and muttered spells that would alert her if it was cursed. _Or worse,_ her eyes widened. _It could be a portkey_. With renowned fervor, she checked and even did a few anti-cursing spells. When she was sure that the envelope posed no harm, she hastily opened the envelope and saw the long elegant cursive of Lucius Malfoy. She read it, slowly but surely, taking in every bits of information that would suffice for the upcoming Order's meeting and checking any hidden codes that would reveal their plans.

But this particular letter was short and simple and does not need any codes or riddles to crack. Her hand was shaking as were her whole body and sparks were emitting from her wand.

"Harry, Ron!" She banged on their doors that were right across from hers. The three of them were Aurors, Hermione a part-time Healer, to help them train for the upcoming war.

Suddenly, they were all in Harry's office inspecting the letter.

"Oh, Merlin and Morgana," Harry whispered as he numbly sat on the sofa next to the table and gave the letter to Ron. He took it with shaking hands, afraid of what it would say.

_Mudblood,_

_We have your parents. If you still want to see them alive, you know where to go. Do not bring anyone with you_

Immediately after reading, Harry suddenly heard a knock on the door. He jerked his head to the door to signal Ron that he should go check it out.

Ron opened the door and what he saw perplexed him. A package addressed to Hermione was sitting in front of the door. He levitated it to the desk afraid of the curses that would definitely be in it. He motioned Harry to the box and asked him to inspect it.

When Hermione opened the box, however, her knees almost gave.

"I will _definitely _kill him!"

In the box lay a finger bleeding profusely wearing a man's wedding ring. _'Probably Mr. Granger's wedding ring' _Harry thought apprehensively as he inspected it.

And this went on for days. Everyday Hermione would get a package containing a body part of her parents with one of their accessories. Until one day, when she came home from work, as she touched her mother's locket, she felt the familiar pull at her navel.

When Hermione looked around her surroundings, she was not disappointed. Several Death Eaters stood around her spot, wands pointed at her face. She inspected the room and found them, her parents, chained and gagged.

"Do you like it?" It was Avery who spoke. Someone, she did not know who, muttered something and ropes sprung out, binding her. She did not fight, knowing that it would be futile seeing the numbers were clearly against her.

"We would like information, of course, about the Order's whereabouts. And Potter, of course." He smiled cruelly at her. She only rolled her eyes. As if she'll give in that easily.

"A little color would be nice," She said just to spite them. All of them hissed and scowled. "And no." Hermione was thrown back, her head hitting the stonewall loudly. She then felt the familiar feeling of a million white hot needles poking at her skin. _Damn, crucio_, She thought but she would not scream.

It continued on for a few minutes before they got bored and to more muggle, more barbaric means.

Hermione's eyes went wide as she saw one of them conjure a silver dagger, a wicked grin on his face as he neared.

"Don't come near me," She hissed at him. The death eater only laughed as he kicked her hard in the stomach, air leaving her.

He was kneeling beside her then, and even laughed as Hermione screamed, her resolved broken, as he deeply cut letters in her right shoulder. They laughed as the Death Eater gave a final stab in her left hand, blood oozing to the floor.

"Anytime now, mudblood." Hermione whipped her head at the voice. She saw Bellatrix kneeling near her parents, wands at their temples and a malicious cackle at her.

"No!"

But Bellatrix only cackled louder as she said the final spell that would end her father's life. Hermione felt tears burn her eyes as she glared at her father's murderer.

"Do you think for one second that-" Another crucio then her world went black.

Hermione noticed two things the moment she opened her eyes: first, she was not in her office working at her desk, fixing files for the Aurors, second, she was tied upside down with a bucket of water beneath her head. Suddenly, she felt the rush of blood go to her head and had to struggle through the ropes to keep the blood going.

"Goody. Now let's continue on." And they dunked her. Unceremoniously, Hermione thought as she was once again out of the water.

"_Fuck you all_" She murmured and she was once again dunked.

When she regained consciousness, once again, she was, however, no longer tied upside down to the ceiling. Instead, her hands and feet were shackled to the wall. She noticed glumly that the shackles prevented her from letting her do any magic. Wandless magic was out of the question then.

She inspected the building noticing that the fact that there were no windows at all and it seemed that there was only one door.

She looked to her right and noticed her mother still unconscious; her father slumped, lifeless, on the floor beside her. Hermione didn't will herself to cry at this moment. She can cry some other time, she reminded herself, when she and her mother was free from the hands of the Death Eaters.

But then, she realized. Her mother wasn't breathing anymore. She was as lifeless as her father and at that let a few tears trickle down her face. She was an orphan now. She wouldn't die here. Her parents wouldn't want that to happen.

She noticed, however, that there were only three of them now. Bellatrix stood to one corner muttering to herself, being the crazy bint that she was. Yaxley and Avery guarded her and even had the gall to smile at her, baring his teeth at her.

"Just give in, Mudblood." Crucio. Hermione clenched her teeth and tasted copper in her mouth.

Once the torture was done, she felt something poking at her back pocket, her eyes widening a fraction at her stupidity.

There lays, in her pocket, her key to her escape.

Now if she could only touch it…

"Let's have another round, shall we? We're not going to stop until we break the Mudblood Princess here." Avery sneered as he walked near her.

She has to act fast if she wants to escape this hellhole. Hermione scanned the room once more and looked at the ceiling. They were made of stone too, she noticed. She then concentrated all her magic to the ceiling and hoped, with all her being for this to work. That the ceiling must break. It must.

_Duro._ She thought as she felt her a fraction of her magic leaving her, searing her wrists and ankles as the shackles worked it magic. But thankfully, the amount of magic she sent was large enough to work and the stone ceiling gave and nearly crushed her.

Hermione heard Bellatrix shout, "bitch!" at the top of her lungs as she tried with all her might to reach the object in her pocket. Yaxley and Avery were destroying the debris that fell on them and she knew she only had little time. She ignored the pain the shackled gave her as she reached (finally!) the coin in her pocket.

"Cherry Pie!" Hermione all but shouted and the portkey activate and felt the tug at her navel as she left. She would forever thank the person who warded the place and forgot to place anti-portkey wards.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_I do _**NOT **_own Harry Potter and whoever character whom you recognize in the novel/series. They all belong to J.K Rowling. Except of course the plot... oh, and one character...w/c (again) will not be in this chapter... probably in the next chapter. hee-hee_

**Chapter two**

"She doesn't remember?"

"No, Mr. Weasley, she remembers. But what happened might traumatize her. Give her space - A good one week or more - then after that she'll be back to normal, hopefully."

She heard two voices, one male and one female. Apparently, one belong to Ron and the other, she can't quite place.

Her eyes fluttered open and she quickly heard footsteps coming and was immediately in the arms of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. She missed their hugs and their antics. Ever since work, they never really relaxed and made joke anymore. And what's more, they still have to find the remaining Horcruxes.

"Hermione, we were worried!"

"I'm glad that you're awake."

"I'm going to kill them!"

"Ron! You won't do anything to them… yet"

"Aww, Harry, you are such a killjoy."

And this exchange earned them a giggle from Hermione and laughter from both men.

_Men,_ Hermione thought, _they are not children anymore. _And at that thought, Hermione stopped giggling.

"Hermione," Harry said upon noticing that she stopped giggling.

"What day, time is it and where am I? This isn't 12 Grimmauld Place is it?" Hermione tried sitting up but failed, seeing that it caused her pain.

"December 29, 1998, 2:16 in the afternoon, and you're at Shell Cottage" Ron answered with his eyebrow raised.

"Shell Cottage? Why am I at Shell Cottage?" said Hermione, her voice raising at the last word, clearly confused as to how she ended up at Shell Cottage. "I Apparated at Grimmauld Place. What happened?"

Harry and Ron looked crestfallen. They did not want to break the news this way but they realized that they can't keep it to her forever. They took a seat at each side of her bed. Hermione looked at each of them with furrowed eyebrows alternately, first at Harry, then at Ron, then resting her eyes at Harry again, noticing his pursed lip and worried glances at Ron.

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione put her hand on top of Harry's and then he broke down. His shoulder started shaking and he looked down at his lap. He conjured a handkerchief from thin air and wiped his eyes. Ron stood and sat beside his best friend and sighed. He opened his mouth to say something but Harry beat him to it.

"12 Grimmauld Place is no more, Hermione" Harry stopped to see Hermione's expression. Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' then her expression became livid.

"Death Eaters," Hermione said through clenched teeth.

"Yes. Yaxley, Greyback, Avery and Bellatrix to be exact," Harry said, his face completely emotionless. "They burned the place and completely destroyed it. Nothing remained. They…they destroyed Sirius' house, Hermione, my only reminder of…of him." Then he really broke down. Hermione tried her best to sit up (even though it hurt her) and hugged him. Harry just cried on her shoulder and Ron patted him on his back, sharing her sympathy over the boy.

Hermione suddenly wanted to bang her head on the wall upon realizing which of the Death Eaters attacked Grimmauld Place. '_They were after me!' _Hermione thought,_ 'Oh, Hermione you prat, you just _have _to blast Lucius Malfoy into smithereens when you clearly know that he is Voldemort's right…hand…man. Oh, shite.' _She paled and stiffened. Harry noticed and looked at her.

"Hermione?" He sniffed and brought the handkerchief into his eyes wiping the unshed tears that just can't seem to flow.

"I killed them, Harry." Hermione said.

"Killed who?" Ron asked, edging in closer.

"Malfoy and Lestrange?" Hermione sneered (yes, sneered) at the names. The former sending shivers down her spine and the latter just plain creeped her out.

"Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange? Clearly you've got the wrong people, Hermione. I understand you killing Draco Malfoy, but we saw Bellatrix." Harry said with a hint of confusion and shock to his voice.

Draco Malfoy, pureblood extraordinaire, silvery blonde prat, the amazing bouncing ferret, and master of smirks and sneers (competing with Snape with that title), did not attend their Seventh year in Hogwarts. They thought that they would never see him again, but was wrong.

One day, when they were eating dinner, the doors to the Great Hall suddenly burst open and in came Draco Malfoy. The shock of the students was heard from the Great Hall – or rather, _weren't _heard from the Great hall, nothing was heard at all! – Even Harry and Ron stood up and took their wands out and pointed it to Malfoy.

Hermione had gone pale at the sight of Malfoy returning to Hogwarts. She stared at his appearance; his hair soaked with blood and covered with soot and so were his robes but with added tears here and there.

The Great Hall grew more quiet (if that was possible) and watched the exchange between the Headmistress and Malfoy. The silence of the Great hall was so deafening that the only thing you could hear is the mumbles of Malfoy and the Headmistress and the gasps of some Hogwarts' staff. Every head was turned to the frantic looking Malfoy (except Goyle and Crabbe who were still minching on their food) and the ever paling McGonagall.

Everyone in the Great Hall stopped at whatever they were doing and gasped as the one of the window exploded into a hundred pieces and hit every single muggle-born in the room. Hermione getting a good (if you even consider getting hit _good_) hit on the arm.

"I told you!" Malfoy shouted. Then panic ensued.

Harry pulled his wand out and sent Draco Malfoy a full Body-Bind curse, earning him a glare from his mortal enemy (Voldemort was out of the picture) and it also earned him a two month detention from Snape and lost him 92 points.

This memory was quite hard to forget since that was the first time they've lost that many points on one person. Usually, they lose those kinds of points on gangs and such, not just one person alone.

And this memory was hard to forget because a simple '_Episkey_' won't heal the wound that kept bleeding. And it was they day that Draco Malfoy, mudblood hater, healed Hermione Granger, muggle-born extraordinaire.

"What? No! I did not kill Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange! I mean, I'm not _that _evil," She gave off a nervous laugh and looked at the two boys who were both eyeing her oddly. She sighed and opened her mouth to say something when the door banged open and in came Ginny who immediately saw Harry and rushed into his arms. She then cupped Harry's face into her hands and looked deeply in his eyes before smothering him with light kisses.

"Oh, Harry! I was so worried when I heard from mum! I swear, Harry James Potter, this Voldemort thing is getting dangerous" She stopped and looked Harry in the eyes with much seriousness that even her brother didn't know she possessed.

"When has my life became…err…less-dangerous?" Harry said with sarcasm clear in his voice and stared back at Ginny.

"Oh, Harry did you know how worried I was? I thought you wouldn't make it! I mean, they completely destroyed Sirius' –" Then she gasped and hugged Harry tight, as if afraid of letting go. "I'm so sorry about Sirius' house. I'm really, really sorry." She said, her voice muffled by Harry's robes.

"It's not your fault, Ginny" He murmured and leaned close to Ginny. She closed her eyes and leaned in more, closing their gap, until Ron rudely interrupted them.

"Yuck, Ew! Harry, you are disgusting! Get a room!" Ron said, shielding his eyes with his arms as if seeing a blinding light coming close to his face, close to devouring his whole body.

"Ron! It's as if you and Luna haven't snogged! Honestly, get a grip." Hermione said, rolling her eyes at the way Ron is acting. Can't he see that young Ginny is all grown up now?

"Yeah, Hermione, he is such a filthy hypocrite." Ginny scoffed but then her eyes narrowed and turned to Hermione and squealed, completely forgetting about Harry and hugged Hermione.

"Oh God, Hermione, I missed you so much! With my school and your work, we haven't seen each other in days! Months even!" Ginny said but then stiffened at the reminder of the current state of her girl best friend. She stopped hugging her but then looking at her at arm's level. "Dear Merlin, are you alright? I've heard everything from mum. I'm so sorry, Hermione. I promise, You-Know-Who will pay for this." Ginny said as she hugged Hermione again, tighter this time.

Ginny is a sweet girl and a strong independent woman. '_I guess that's why Harry likes her'. _Hermione thought. After breaking with Harry in their Sixth year, they made up again before the New Year's Eve of 1998 and eventually engaging in a long passionate kiss after that – as Ginny stated.

"What? No 'Oh Ron, What happened? I thought you were gone! I don't know what I'll do without you!'? Nice little sister you are." Ron snorted and imitated Ginny's voice and doing a pretty good job at it.

"I'll show you how nice I am. Prepare, Ronald, for the Bat-Bogey hex," Ginny raised her wand and was about to say the incantation when Mrs. Weasley interrupted them.

"Order Meeting!"

"Thank Merlin for mum!"

"There's no escaping me, Ronald" Ginny pocketed her wand and glared playfully at him, but not too playfully to let him feel _false _security.

"There's no escaping me, Ronald. My arse." Ron mumbled under his breath. Harry heard him and nudged him in the ribs.

"But, Mrs. Weasley, what about Hermione?" Harry wondered. With the condition of Hermione, how will they continue the order meeting without one person? They heard some bustling and saw Hermione standing up. Ron rushed to her side and assisted her.

"Ron, really that's sweet, but I can walk on my own. I have been resting for three days, I can move fine. See?" Hermione jumped and jogged on the spot to show Ron that she really was okay and looked at Ron's pained expression.

"Honestly, I think Ron is the unluckiest person in here." Ginny whispered to Harry, sending shivers down his spine. After everything they've done, it was whispering that seems to get him uncomfortable, number one on his 'Things That Make me Uncomfortable', standing naked in front of a crowd being his second, but…that was out of the picture. He just shrugged, whether it was a response to Ginny or to send the feeling away, he didn't know.

Eventually, they made it downstairs, with Harry and Ginny talking and Ron and Hermione constantly getting on the nerve of each other. Even though they've grown up, they still can't let the bickering out of their system. '_Must be a bad habit_,' Harry thought.

The Order was meeting in the living room of Fleur and Bill's house. They married last August 1, 1997 at The Burrow with the entire Weasley and Delacour clan and some friends. With 12 Grimmauld place destroyed, the Shell Cottage has been the Headquarters of the Order since.

Everyone was seated to their own little place and waited as Moody, the current Order's leader (with Dumbledore gone). He seemed perfect for the position, strict, good moral and knows the difference between good and bad, and bad and worse.

"Moody won't be speaking here right now. He's…uhmm…fetching someone that would be a '_great asset_' – his words not mine – to the Order" Remus said, standing in front of the ever waiting crowd.

"So…we'll be having a new member in the Order then? Oh goody," Fred said, saying the last sentence a tad too enthusiastically after exchanging looks with his brother, who started scribbling down on a piece of parchment. Remus eyed them carefully.

"Yes, if there will be no more questions…Thank you." He then sat down and chatted with Tonks. They were married now. They married in the late November and are a very, _very _happy couple. They were even planning their honeymoon (Remus shivered at the word 'moon') in Sicily, Italy.

But everyone's chatter died down by the opening of the door and the entrance of what looked like the robes of a Death Eater.

"Duck and Cover!" George shouted, pulled out his wand and pointed at the man…intruder…whatever, as a sign of warning.

"No, George, Duck and Shoot!" Fred said, ducking under the table after shooting the man with a spell but easily deflected it and ricocheted, making it hit a nearby vase, shattering it into pieces.

"Zat was my favorite vase!" Fleur said, enraged, took out her wand. Then, everyone in the else took out their wand and shouted the same thing.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Now, combine the determination of each Order member and the_ number_ of members in the Order and have them say the Disarming spell at one person, and you'll get that person at the other side of the earth (exaggeratingly speaking; either way, very far away). Luckily, this man's back was facing the door. The force of the spell made the man hit the door so hard that both the door and the man toppled backwards, removing the door on its place and leaving a very battered door on the ground. And if that wasn't enough, the force of the spell sent the man sliding backwards on his back, his body hitting the foot of Moody, who looked angrier that he had been. He levitated the unconscious man by the collar and removed his hood, revealing a silvery blonde hair a very familiar face.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?!" Moody shouted so loud that the birds in the adjourning forest flew away, and making each and every order member cringe.

**A.N:**

Cliffhanger!! bwahaha! Well, it's pretty obvious who the man...intruder...whatever... was. bwahaha! 'Till the next chapter Potter fans!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

"Have you gone mad?" Moody boomed at each and every one of them in the living room, his magical eye rolling madly. They flinched at the volume of his voice and George even had the gall to whisper to Fred: 'Look, a spittle!'

"Why in the bloody hell did you do that to him?" He pointed his wand at the man who was seated in the opposite direction, checking his jaw for minor injuries. The man waves his hand in a lazy manner as if telling them to go about their business.

"Err…Moody?" Ron said apprehensively, afraid that if he said the wrong word, he might not be able to see the light of day again.

"What?" Snapped Moody.

"That is Malfoy right?" He pointed at the man sitting opposite them.

"Yes, Weasley, it's me." Malfoy drawled and pasted his trademark smirk on his face. He saw Granger roll her eyes. He raised his eyebrow suggestively at her. Ron turned red in the ears at his response.

"I wasn't talking to you, ferret. I was talking to Moody." Ron glared heatedly at him.

Malfoy sniggered. Typical Weasley behavior. He was making this too easy for him.

"Well, Weasel, I can't help it. My name is just too damn irresistible to _not_ react to."

"Evil, loathsome, bigoted, pompous prat" Ron mumbled under his breath as he stomped off to the other side of the room. To get as far away from as possible, he supposed.

"Ah, but 'e eez an evil, loathsome, bigoted, pompous 'andsome prat." Though this time, it wasn't Malfoy who said it. The voice had a pretty heavy French accent and had a child-like tone to it. Malfoy smirked triumphantly at him. Ron only turned redder.

"Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted by Mr. Weasley here," Moody glared at him, hinting that there'll be punishment for such rash actions - in the dungeons, where there'd be lots of whips and chains. Ron shook out the imagination out of his mind.

"We have two new members in the Order which will be a great asset," Remus snorted at this and covered his 'I told you so' with a cough. "To the Order."

"Two? But we only see one." Charlie's brow furrowed. "Unless of course… which would be impossible…of course not! You aren't recruiting him, are you?" Charlie looked at the other new member, who was smiling sweetly at them.

Majority of the Order (specifically the women), voiced their opinion on this matter. No matter how great an asset the child would be, it was still a child and dueling would take a toll in its body. Its small frame, if injured, will not be able to handle the curses and would give in eventually. Too young.

"Are you insane, Moody?" Kingsley said, completely outraged, not minding the fact that he just raised his voice to the older, more experienced Auror.

"Do not question my sanity, Kingsley! You do not know what this lad is capable of." Hermione noticed Moody wearing an almost proud smile. "If you must know, he was the best in his school. He could do wandless magic – just like Miss Granger here (she turned a bit pink here) – and he's a very well known Healer in his country."

"At his age?"

"Damn!"

"What the hell?"

"Cool!" George said, facing his twin and beaming.

"We have an eight-year-old member!"

"Wicked!" The twins said in unison and did a high five.

"Eight?" Mrs. Weasley turned pale, her husband almost fainted at the revelation.

"Dear Merlin! I-I don't know what to say!" Hermione stared at the kid who stared at her in return. There was something odd at this kid. He may look young in the outside, but his eyes, his eyes tell him that he already saw things an eight-year-old shouldn't.

"Well, here's a kid who is smarter than you, Granger. Look at that." Malfoy smirked at her. Hermione just glared at him.

"Well, formal introductions." Moody looked at the two expectedly.

"Draco Malfoy," He smirked. "Former prefect, and right-hand man or the Dark Lord" Malfoy raised his eyebrow at the reddening face of Ron and the sneering face of Harry.

"Dominique Croire, tout à vous, at your service" Dominique said, in a heavy French accent and smiled his bright straight-teeth smile, his golden curls bouncing. This earned him a squeal from Fleur and Ginny.

"We will 'ave so much fun together! Que veux- tu manger?" Fleur said as she dragged the blond child to the kitchen.

"Biscuits aux pépites de chocolat" Dominique beamed at Fleur. Then bounced off.

Moody turned to them once again and set his shoulder straighter than it was (If that was even possible, Hermione thought dryly). He looked at each and every one of them and told them, straight to the point:

"Mr. Malfoy here will be our new spy"

Hermione, like the others, widened their eyes. It was, of course, obvious the moment Malfoy strutted inside the house with Moody in tow but to have it said out loud – Hermione's heart started beating rapidly. Things were about to get serious. The others looked disbelieving of this fact, Ron more so than other, and were reluctant to accept this news and she knew that they have to work harder than ever to accept Malfoy into the Order.

Moody looked at each one of them, noting the bemused faces of the trio. "Any questions about our new recruits, ask them now. And I used Veritaserum to make sure, Ms. Jones." He added as he saw Hestia Jones opening her mouth.

"What made him switch side?" It was Tonks who spoke this time.

Malfoy smirked at her. "You, of course, as stubborn as you lot are, will never believe me even if it was as big as the Eiffel Tower and screaming at your faces."

"Try us, Malfoy." Harry glared challengingly, his arms crossed at his chest.

"I'd rather dislose this information with the Golden Trio privately, if you please." Malfoy said.

"If you wish, Mister Malfoy." Moody swished his wand and a bottle labeled Veritaserum flew to him. Malfoy openend the cork and drank half the bottle.

"Now if you don't mind, I would like everyone, except Granger, Potter and Weasley, to join little Dominique in the kitchen, seeing as you all like the little bugger." Malfoy waved his hand dismissively.

He then sat on the floor crossed-leg in front of the coffee table and motioned for the trio to go do the same but only glared at him.

"Fine, have it your way. But do remember that it is much more comfortable to interrogate while sitting on the floor."

"How much do you know?" Hermione spoke first, sitting on the floor despites Ron's disagreement.

"A lot, of course. And when I say a lot, I mean _a lot._" He stared at her eyes. It was the first time he really saw her eyes, brown with specks of gold, and hints of honey color to it. "You know I can't lie. And with the amount of Veritaserum I took, I think that it would be approximately five hours before I can lie again. And don't worry; he won't summon me until tomorrow. Oh and better list this down, Granger. Better yet, use a Quick-Quotes-Quill."

Malfoy relayed to them everything they know. Hermione was in awe at the amount of information he knew but then thought ruefully that, of course he would know this; he's Voldemort's right hand man.

He kept talking. He listed down all the Death Eaters and their information and their possible course of action if Voldemort was ever defeated. He gave her a list of their hideouts and where to find them – even the wards that protected the hideout. Hermione raised her eyes to his when he mentioned Malfoy Manor but he didn't stop.

"Keep that quill going, Granger." Malfoy only told her. She nodded.

Another hour passed and finally, _finally_, they got to the good part. Malfoy mentioned the Horcruxes, what they were and his theories to them. Not that Hermione didn't know half of what he said but hearing Malfoy talk about them like they were talking about Harry's new set of robes and not Voldemort's soul made her stomach churn.

"So that's diary, ring, locket, cup, snake, diadem and a person–" Hermione looked up from the parchment, noting his tone of voice. Was it her imagination or did Malfoy looked at Harry when he said person?

"So how do we…err…execute this task?" Ron said, carefully, choosing his words so as to not give away any hints to people in the adjourning room despite the countless silencing spells and wards she and Malfoy put up.

"Sword, Fang, and this certain potion, that I have no idea what" Malfoy mused out loud, cocking his head in thought.

"Gryffindor's sword?" Harry muttered. He never thought that that sword would kill Voldemort's soul.

"Yeah, I don't know why, though. Maybe it has something the Dark Lord is afraid of."

"Love," Harry murmured, probably to himself, he didn't know. "You can put love and hard work into creating an all-mighty sword that could possibly defeat the future Dark lord." Again, Harry said, but more to himself this time. He started pacing around the room with his hand on his chin in a thinking position.

"I want this potion brewing by next week. Hermione, can you do that?"

Hermione looked up from her parchment. "I think so, Harry. I do need to have access on books regarding dark magic, specifically Horcruxes, though. But yes, it can – it _will_ start by next week." She smiled reassuringly.

"And as much as it pains me to say this," Harry took a deep breath and faced Malfoy. "You are the…best potions maker in the Order as of now. So, I would like you to… help us in our quest in finding Voldemort's remaining soul." Harry said through clenched teeth all the while glaring at the smug look of Draco Malfoy, who only tutted.

"There, there, Potter. Don't worry, I'll _help _you. And I _know _that I'm the _best _potions maker after Snape." Malfoy said smugly, then frowning as he looked at the piece of parchment. "Honestly, I don't know where he keeps his Horcruxes, though I can only guess." Malfoy pursed his lips and stared at the words 'cup' and 'bracelet', then a though a occurred to him. "Room of Requirement" he muttered under his breath.

All three heads turned to him, "What?"

"I remember seeing a portrait of Ravenclaw wearing her diadem. And I think I saw it when I was fixing the –" Malfoy stopped, his brows furrowing.

"The vanishing cabinet," Hermione finished for him. She saw him nod.

Harry looked like something clicked in his mind too. "Yeah, I think I saw that too! When I was looking for a place to hide Snape's potion's book." Malfoy raised his eyebrows but didn't continue.

"So we first get the diadem seeing as it's the easiest," Ron summarized. "But first we have to get venom from the dead Basilisk down the Chamber." He added, going into his chess player mode as Hermione would like to call it.

"And we have to pack a lot of them," Hermione said, putting the parchments away for Kingsley to inspect. The Aurors would round these Death Eaters once they start hunting Horcruxes.

"But we have to be careful," Malfoy nodded at them, "The other Horcruxes may not be as friendly as the diadem. For sure the ring would have dozens of protective wards and I want to have a look at that too." He frowned.

Hermione volunteered for the research work, adding ward breaking to her list of things to do in the next couple of months. She would have to research the potion – while working alongside Malfoy, who hadn't said anything that would insult her, or even Harry and Ron, for that matter – and practice breaking wards.

"I think I'll help you with the ward breaking, Hermione." Ron said, determination clear in his eyes. She smiled, knowing that Ron grew up these past couple of years. Although not as hardworking as she and Harry, Ron put dedication to his work when interested in the subject. He can be a bloody well wizard if the lazy bug didn't hit him.

She smiled at him and nodded.

An hour later, the four of them tired, Dominique entered the room as if no wards prevented her from doing so.

"Miel," Dominique yawned and Hermione raised her eyebrows at Malfoy. Isn't miel French for honey? "It is time for rest. Your master – " he almost spat the words "will be summoning you tomorrow. We must go."

Malfoy nodded. Ron gaped at him, hardly believing that he would take orders from a child. He then stood up and nodded at the three of them.

"I do hope that this goes according to plan." And then he and Dominique went out of the front door.

* * *

**Notes:**

Good to be back, indeed. Heavily edited, though.

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